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Sunday, August 10, 2008

Don't Ignore Sudden Vision Changes!

I had a scare this weekend concerning my eyesight. I have never been concerned about my sight. I do wear glasses or contacts but there was nothing unusual at all about that.

Earlier this month I had some bright flashes in my vision. I thought it was glare since I work on a computer. No pain at all. then on Friday I noticed some tiny pepper like spots in my right eye vision field. Again, no pain. Figured it was those 'floaters' you hear about. But in the morning I started having odd, string like floaters, and while I was doing dishes, the vision in my right eye suddenly blurred. I knew it couldn't be eye strain from the computer because I'd been cleaning and running errands all day,

I called Ask A Nurse, and she advised me to go to the ER. Before I went I looked my symptoms up online to see if this was really nothing. I hate the Er. But there was mention of BLINDNESS.

I went to the ER. The original doctor kind of blew it all off,"Floaters are normal." But then an older doctor I've seen before in the ER (He did my last heart conversion in April) got me into an ophthalmologist on Sunday since the hospital doesn't have the specialized eye equipment.

Turns out I have an inflammation in both eyes and several small tears in the right eye, which caused the spots, floaters and flashes. The ophthalmologist did a lazer procedure to prevent the tears from getting larger. I also have drops for the inflammation and follow up appointments etc.

Quite a wake up call for a writer. I can't imagine not being able to read novels or use a computer--not to mention all the other things a severe vision loss would affect!